Shopping bag holder and carrying apparatus

ABSTRACT

A bag holder having a handle with a first curved bag holder support and a second curved bag holder support defining first and second bag holding spaces, respectively, at opposing ends of the handle. Bag handles can be placed in the bag holding spaces at each end of the handle to provide a sufficiently balanced load for carrying. A bag holding notch can be formed within the bottom surface of the handle, which allows the handles of one or more bags to be placed therein, such that the weight is supported by the handle in an inverted position. One or more receiving notches extending off of the bag holding notch can allow the bag holder to be hung on a hanger support.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

The present application claims priority to U.S. Design Patent Application Serial No. 29/520,418, filed Mar. 13, 2015, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Plastic bags, often referred to as “T-shirt bags,” are commonly used for carrying items purchased at a store. They typically have two loop handles on each side that can be pulled together to carry the bag. The material of the bags is often very thin, which results in the handles being rolled up into narrow straps when the bags are lifted. When the bag is carried, the handles concentrate the weight of the bag into narrow areas on the hand. This can make carrying the bag difficult or uncomfortable or a long distance. The problem is exacerbated when the bag is particularly heavy or multiple bags are carried simultaneously, which limits the number of bags that can be moved.

BRIEF SUMMARY

In accordance with embodiments of the subject invention, the problem of carrying one or more plastic bags with the hands is solved by utilizing a bag holder to which one or more bags can be secured thereon and held by a hand without direct contact with the bag handles. The bag holder embodiments described herein successfully address the above-described disadvantages associated with carrying plastic bags and provides certain attributes and advantages, which have not been realized by previously known devices which have attempted to solve the problem. In particular, the subject invention provides novel, inexpensive, and easy to use devices for convenient and effective transport of multiple plastic bags that minimize discomfort to the hands and can permit carrying a greater number of bags than would typically be carried with the hands.

Embodiments comprise a handle having first and second ends, a top surface, and a bottom surface; and two bag holder supports, one located at each of the first and second ends of the handle. Additional embodiments comprise a notch that opens towards a bottom side of the device. The bag holder supports and notch are configured to receive the loop handles of one or more bags. The handle can then be grasped in one hand and used to lift and transport the bags affixed thereto. The bag holder can be ergonomically designed to be fit comfortably in the hand and distribute the weight of the bags across a greater surface area of the hand. Alternatively, bags can be placed in each of the bag holder supports and the bag holder placed on the shoulder of the user such that at least one bag hangs on the front side of the user and at least one bag hangs on the back side of the user, the users hands then being freed for other tasks, if desired.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

In order that a more precise understanding of the above recited invention can be obtained, a more particular description of the invention briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof that are illustrated in the appended drawings. The drawings presented herein may not be drawn to scale and any reference to dimensions in the drawings or the following description is specific to the embodiments disclosed. Any variations of these dimensions that will allow the subject invention to function for its intended purpose are considered to be within the scope of the subject invention. Thus, understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered as limiting in scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an illustration of a front elevation view of a first embodiment of the bag holder.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the first embodiment of a bag holder.

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the first embodiment of a bag holder.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of the first embodiment of a bag holder.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view, taken along line 5-5′ in FIG. 1, which illustrates an ergonomic curvature along the sides and edges of the first embodiment of a bag holder.

FIG. 6 is an illustration of a front elevation view of a second embodiment of a bag holder.

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the second embodiment of a bag holder.

FIG. 8 is a bottom plan view of the second embodiment of a bag holder.

FIG. 9 is a side elevation view of the second embodiment of a bag holder.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view, taken along line B-B′ in FIG. 6, which illustrates an ergonomic curvature along the sides and edges of the second embodiment of a bag holder.

FIG. 11 is a front elevation view of a third embodiment of a bag holder.

FIG. 12 is a side elevation view of the third embodiment of a bag holder.

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view, taken along line C-C′ in FIG. 11, which illustrates an ergonomic curvature along the sides and edges of the third embodiment of a bag holder.

DETAILED DISCLOSURE The subject invention describes embodiments of a hand-held device for carrying a bag.

More specifically, the subject invention provides embodiments of a bag holder capable of securing multiple loop-handled bags for carrying in one's hands or over one's shoulder.

The following description will disclose that the subject invention is particularly useful with T-shirt type bags that have two loop handles that can be pulled together for carrying a load in the bag. However, a person with skill in the art will be able to recognize numerous other uses that would be applicable to the devices and methods of the subject invention, including use with bags having a single handle.

Finally, reference is made throughout the application to the “top surface” and the “bottom surface.” As used herein, the bottom surface is that portion having a central opening to a notch that can be used for securing the handle of a bag for use of the handle in an inverted position (usually for only one or a few bags) or for accommodating a stroller hook or other hanger-type support should the user want to hang the bag holder on a support for transport, thereby freeing both hands for other tasks. Conversely, the top surface of the device is that surface opposite to the bottom surface and that is directed upwards or away from the ground when bags are secured within the first and second bag holder supports and the bag holder is carried in the user's hand.

The present invention is more particularly described by the examples described herein, which are intended to be illustrative only since numerous modifications and variations therein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. As used in the specification and in the claims, the singular for “a,” “an” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

Reference will be made to the attached figures on which the same reference numerals are used throughout to indicate the same or similar components. With reference to the attached figures, which show certain embodiments of the subject invention, it can be seen that a bag holder 50 of the subject invention, in general, has an elongated handle with a first bag holder support and a second bag holder support that are located at first and second opposite ends, respectively, of the handle. Optionally, there can also be a bag holding notch within the bottom surface of the handle by which one or more bags can also be carried, or which can accommodate a support when the bag holder is placed thereon.

There are a variety of factors to be considered by those skilled in the art with regard to the choice of materials for manufacturing a bag holder 50 of the subject invention. The bag holder embodiments described herein can be manufactured of a single material or can be formed of more than one material. Preferably, but not necessarily, embodiments of a bag holder are made of a plastic for ease of mass production. More preferably, the plastic is a durable one, such as, for example, copolymer polypropylene.

An embodiment of a bag holder 50 according to the subject invention can be advantageously designed with a handle 100 having a shape that fits comfortably in a user's hand and distributes the weight of one or more bags engaged with the bag holder over the palmar surface of the fingers and hand. The handle can be solid or hollow, as materials permit. Ideally, the material of the handle is rigid and substantially inflexible, such that the shape of the handle does not change when a load is placed thereon and carried in the hand.

The handle 100 can also include any of a variety of ergonomic features that aid in the distribution of weight and that make holding and grasping the bag holder, particularly under a load, comfortable for the hand. In one embodiment, the handle is an elongate structure that has a length (L) that is greater than the width (W), as shown in FIGS. 2 and 7. In a further embodiment, the width (W) of the top surface 20 of the handle is larger than the width at the bottom surface 30. Alternatively, in other embodiments the width of the top surface of the main body is smaller than the width of the bottom surface, or they can be of the same width. In a further embodiment, the handle can have a convex curvature that can conform, at least partially, to the shape of the hand, particularly the curvature of the palm or fingers. FIGS. 1, 6, and 11 illustrate one non-limiting example of a curved handle wherein the top surface has a greater convex curvature than does the bottom surface. In a further embodiment, one or more edges of the main body can be beveled or rounded to inhibit chafing or cutting of the skin, particularly as might be a risk when used with a heavy load.

In a further first embodiment, there is a first curved bag holder support 101 at a first end 107 of the handle and a second curved bag holder support 102 at a second end 108 of the handle. As shown, in FIG. 1, the first curved bag holder support extends from the first end 107 of the handle and ends at first support terminus 103. The first curved bag holder support 101 defines a first bag handle holding space 111. The second curved bag holder support 102 extends from the second end 108 of the handle and ends at second support terminus 104 and defines a second bag handle holding space 112. In one embodiment, the first curved bag holder support and the second curved bag holder support are essentially mirror images of each other, as shown in FIG. 1.

In an embodiment shown in FIG. 1 that further comprises a bag holding notch 105, the handle can be positioned with the bag holding notch 105 directed downwards. One or more bag handles can be placed over the first support terminus 103 within first bag holding space 111 and one or more other bag handles can be placed over the second support terminus 104, so that the bag handles of the one or more bags are within first bag handle holding space 111 and second bag handle holding space 112, respectively, preferably to form a balanced load at each end of the main body. The handle can then be grasped in one hand and used to lift and carry the bags. Alternatively, the bag holder can be lifted to the user's shoulder, with bags from one bag handle holding space dangling in front of the user and bags from the other bag handle holding space dangling in back of the user.

A second embodiment, depicted in FIGS. 6-10, comprises handle 600; first curved bag holder support 601 extending from one end of the handle 600 and second curved bag holder support 602 extending from the other end of the handle. The first curved bag holder support ends at first support terminus 603 and defines first bag handle holding space 611. The second curved bag holder support ends at second support terminus 604 and defines second bag handle holding space 612. In a further second embodiment, the top side of the handle 600 comprises at one end a first bag handle retaining lip 609, that projects up and out from the top surface 25 of the handle 600, and that in combination with first curved bag holder support 601 further defines the first bag handle holding space 611, as shown, by way of example, in FIG. 6. Similarly, there is a second bag handle retaining lip 610 at the other end of the handle that in combination with second curved bag holder support 602 further defines the second bag handle holding space 612. The first bag handle retaining lip 609 and the second bag handle retaining lip 610 provide a barrier that can assist in retaining the handles of one or more bags within the first bag handle holding space 611 and the second bag handle holding space 612, respectively.

Sometimes, there may be only a single bag to be carried, or it otherwise may not be desirable to utilize the bag holder supports. Advantageously, the handle 100 can optionally have a bag holding notch 105 formed in the bottom surface therein. Ideally, the notch is formed at or near the center of the handle, so that the bag holder can be grasped in an inverted fashion with the bag holding notch opening upwards, if desired, with the bag handles extending across the notch and down between the fingers. This allows the load to be supported by the handle.

In a first embodiment, a bag holding notch 105 can have a first side wall 106 a and a second side wall 106 b in a spaced juxtaposition, facing each other and thereby defining the notch in combination with a terminal end 113 of the notch. In this embodiment, the notch opens out of the bottom surface of the handle, with each side wall extending across the width (W) of the handle and so as to open to each side of the handle, such that the bag holding notch opens onto the bottom side 30 and to either side of the handle, forming a channel in the bottom side, which is illustrated, by way of example, in FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5′ in FIG. 1 that further illustrates that the bag holding notch 105 extends through the bottom side 30 to open onto either side of the handle 100.

The bag holding notch can be used to support one or more bags by the bag handles being inserted across the notch. By grasping the handle, the weight of the bag can be distributed across the palmar surface of the hand and fingers.

A bag holding notch can also include one or more extended receiving notches that are contiguous with the bag holding notch, and that also open onto the sides of the handle, whereby the interior volume of the bag holding notch is increased to receive more handles or to facilitate hanging of the bag holder on a hanger support. Bag handles can be placed within an extended receiving notch by traversing the bag holding notch 105 leading to one or more extended receiving notches. An extended receiving notch can be positioned anywhere along the length of a bag holder notch, but is preferably located at or near the terminal end 113 of the bag holding notch.

FIG. 6 illustrates an embodiment of bag holding notch 105 having a first extended receiving notch 607 directed toward the first bag handle holding space 611 and a second extended receiving notch 608 directed towards the second bag handle holding space 612. As seen in FIG. 6, the bag holding notch 105 and the first and second extended receiving notches 607, 608 contiguous therewith open onto the sides of the handle, such that bag handles inserted into the bag holder notch can be disposed in either or both of the extended receiving notches. Alternatively, this embodiment presents several options for the user, since bags can be “hung in any combination of first bag holding space 611, second bag holding space 612, first extended receiving notch 607, or second extended receiving notch 608, and the bag holder can be hung on a hanger support such as, for example, from a stroller attachment, with the hanger support being received in one of the extended receiving notches and thereby freeing both hands of the user”.

Optionally, with these notch embodiments, the handle can be inverted, such that the bag holding notch is directed upwards. One or more bag handles can be inserted into the bag holding notch such that the handles pass between the first side wall and the second side wall and drape over the sides of the handle. The handle can then be grasped in one hand and used to lift and carry the one or more bags.

In alternative embodiments, one or more of the extended receiving notches can be tilted towards the distal end to form a slanted extended receiving notch. FIG. 11 illustrates one example of a bag holding notch 105 having a tilted extended receiving notch 807 that is inclined towards the bottom side of the handle, such that the receiving notch terminal end 813 is at least partially lower than terminal end 113 of bag holding notch 105. With this embodiment, one or more bag handles can be inserted through the bag holding notch and disposed within the tilted extended receiving notch 807 for transport without turning the handle upside down. The angle of the tilted extended receiving notch causes the bag handles to be positioned lower than the terminal end 113 of the bag holding notch 105, inhibiting the handles from withdrawing from the tilted extended receiving notch 807. Optionally, tilted extendable receiving notch 807 can accommodate a hanger support, thereby being used to hang the bag holder while bags are supported by their handles within either or both of the second and first bag handle holding spaces 611, 612.

The bag holder embodiments of the subject invention provide a convenient and versatile method and device for carrying one or more handled bags, particularly the T-shirt type bags currently used by most retailers. The placement thereon and the removal of one or more bags is easy and requires minimal manipulation of the bag holder.

It should be understood that the scope of the invention is not limited by the specific examples and suggested procedures and uses related herein since modifications can be made within such scope from the information provided by this specification to those skilled in the art.

The examples and embodiments described herein are for illustrative purposes only and that various modifications or changes in light thereof will be suggested to persons skilled in the art and are to be included within the spirit and purview of this application.

Any reference in this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “example embodiment,” “further embodiment,” “alternative embodiment,” etc., is for literary convenience. The implication is that any particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with such an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearance of such phrases in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, any elements or limitations of any invention or embodiment thereof disclosed herein can be combined with any and/or all other elements or limitations (individually or in any combination) or any other invention or embodiment thereof disclosed herein, and all such combinations are contemplated with the scope of the invention without limitation thereto.

The invention has been described herein in considerable detail, in order to comply with the Patent Statutes and to provide those skilled in the art with information needed to apply the novel principles, and to construct and use such specialized components as are required. However, the invention can be carried out by specifically different equipment and devices, and that various modifications, both as to equipment details and operating procedures can be effected without departing from the scope of the invention itself. Further, although the present invention has been described with reference to specific details of certain embodiments thereof and by examples disclosed herein, it is not intended that such details should be regarded as limitations upon the scope of the invention except as and to the extent that they are included in the accompanying claims. 

1. A bag holder device comprising: a handle having a top surface, a bottom surface, a first end, a second end, and two sides; a first curved bag holder support extending from the first end of the handle and curving upward and then back toward the handle and terminating at a first support terminus, thereby forming a first bag handle holding space defined by the first curved bag holder support and the first support terminus at the first end of the handle; a second curved bag holder support extending from the second end of the handle and curving upward and the back toward the handle and terminating at a second support terminus, thereby forming a second bag handle holding space defined by the second curved bag holder support and the second support terminus at the second end of the handle; and a bag holding notch opening out of the bottom surface of the handle.
 2. A bag holder device according to claim 1, further comprising a first bag handle retaining lip projecting out of the top surface at the first end of the handle and further defining the first bag holding space.
 3. A bag holder device according to claim 2, further comprising a second bag handle retaining lip projecting out of the top surface at the second end of the handle and further defining the second bag holding space.
 4. A bag holder device according to claim 1, further comprising a first extended receiving notch that is contiguous with the bag holding notch and extends from the bag holding notch toward the first end of the handle.
 5. A bag holder device according to claim 4, further comprising a second extended receiving notch that is contiguous with the bag holding notch and extends from the bag holding notch toward the second end of the handle. 